


Candlenight joy

by bblamentation



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 15:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17144417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bblamentation/pseuds/bblamentation
Summary: John finds himself washed up on land, specifically the beach. With Candlenights arriving, John spends time with Merle's family — found and made.Maybe, things aren't so bad.





	Candlenight joy

**Author's Note:**

> This is my gift for @skyriazeth for the Taz Candlenights Gift Exchange.
> 
> I have been meaning to write some Johnchurch since ep.69 and have really enjoyed writing this fic. I hope you like it and happy holidays.

 

Washed up on the shore, a long man of a tattered suit and grey(ing) hair lay coughing and spewing salt water. Sea water. His head was barely filled with thoughts let alone comprehension of the water that filled his lungs. There was one thing. A small thing. A soft smile’s chuckle was fading as the drenched man slowly woke to consciousness. Though he did not recognise the voice thought there was a familiarity as though it was a man all would know but not he.

“Daddy! Daddy! It’s a man!”

Giggles of children echoed but they were not like the chuckle that had all faded. The children were nearby, and soon their feet scuffled by his ear.

“John? Buddy?” The gruffness of that voice was more than familiar, light. It was the voice of Merle Highchurch: a man of parlay and chess—and more importantly the man he had asked to sit by and watch the ocean with.

_Was this the same ocean?_

No, it couldn’t be, not with the sounds of those children so clear—that beach had been deserted and makeshift for the two of them specifically whereas this beach had voices.

Just as John opened his eyes to take in the surroundings, the beach, the voices, a gentle yet rough hand touched his left arm. A soothing sensation ran through him lifting him in a light that would have felt lost if not for the sight before the washed-up man.

It was not the same ocean. It was not the same orange and pink hued sky. But it was the same dwarf before him.

Kneeling beside him, hand on arm, the same old croon that summoned him close to once a year in the hundred-year cycle was smiling a soft smile. The same one that had sat beside him and watching those rolling waves. 

“Hello,” John greeted; his voice low and strained from an old pain he no longer felt.

Merle smiled and said, “Hey bud, you’re just in time for candlenights.”

Though he was not sure what candlenights was, John was sure glad his body felt lighter than it had done since… he could not say but he was light and if being in time for candlenights made the dwarf grin so, it could have only meant good.

 

* * *

 

As candlenights tradition would have it, the tres horny boys had haphazardly prepared gifts. Since last year’s secret santa had resulted in last minute prep, Lucretia had made sure to remind her dear friends they were participating. There truly was no excuse for a missing present or an unthoughtful gift.

And it was gifting time in the home of Lucretia. More than a handful of people had arrived and were well into the party; her house (if the modified Bureau office could be called such) was filled with primarily Bureau members—those who weren’t were of course her dear friends of whom could bring a guest.

For a week John had pottered around Merle’s beach hut, listening to the years that had passed since the devouring of the worlds and the beautiful sunset beach. Merle had found joy again, the world and plains were finding joy and recovery. Recovery from the destruction, the devouring, the hunger. John laughed at that. He told Merle of the irony that where his purpose had been to destroy everything for there was no point to life, he had in fact pushed all those who had banded to defeat such a threat as himself to pursue their best lives.

After listening to his friend, his buddy, John, Merle commented, “ah you spoke in the past tense.” It threw John off, just like in their games. “Is the hunger gone?”

John hummed and leant back on the rocking chair. Shadows were casting the porch fencing something that was familiar and known to John but was missing smiles and voices. “I don’t know. The hunger was me. I was the hunger. Life is… I don’t have one.”

It was Merle’s turn to hum but his was accompanied by a smile that lifted his beard. “Want to share mine this weekend? Candlenights is the best time to steal some joy! How about you try and can see if it’s better than voreing worlds.”

John looked at the dwarf. His words were just as unclean as his hands but at least they were sincere. For the past week Merle had been dirtying his hands in the soil and _literally_ speaking sweet-nothings to the flowers and plants that bloomed. They were to be presents for his friends.

“Sure.”

And so, the week ended with John, dressed in a clean red suit, as Merle Highchurch’s plus one to candlenights at Lucretia’s home. Though when asked why Mavis and Mookie weren’t his plus one, Merle had laughed that his children were already invited.

 

* * *

 

“So, little dude,” Taako spoke with the disbelief a person had in finding one of the most intelligent person he knew had just stated a contradictory law of nature. “You are to tell me your father, that is Merle, used a healing spell to wake _that_ man, there? Merle. Merle Highchurch?”

Mookie gave a quick, “yes!” before scampering off to find his sister.

“Huh, well look at that,” Taako hmphed and elbowed Magnus. “Merle healed a man.”

“Merle’s a healer?” Magnus cocked his head, pretending to look over John as if inspecting the spell the cleric had used a week prior. “Wish he’d learned that during our time helping the many plains of existence.”

“Oh, mood,” Taako nodded eyes closed. It was a performative nod aided by crossed arms and a faux lofty knowledge. “That would’ve helped me a bunch of times when I almost fucking died.”

“I can hear you, you dinguses,” Merle said. “Pan saved your asses a whole bunch! I’m a professional cleric!”

The bickering continued between the three boys; their closeness and bickering was enjoyable to watch. For John, sans the Hunger, there was no longer the notice of mortality in those boys for it had been replaced with the acknowledgement of bonds. But those strong bonds had always been there, there in that century of chasing and in the past years of searching.

Despite the party atmosphere, John had dared not to speak more to the people who were vital in destroying him— _the hunger_ —instead it was much safer to let the others lead the conversation. It was of course a safe strategy, especially when one had both a reaper boyfriend and a lich sister. Merle’s frowns were however a delight. At first John had mistaken them for simple annoyance but the disgruntled moans at being made fun of were appreciations that his friends acknowledged him. Their banter was fun, funny for them.

It was no wonder how the three of them so easily banded together to get rid of him—the hunger—nor was it difficult to see their bonds with the others. John made sure to keep away from the others as to spoil the mood, though a little part of him wanted to yet could not when Mookie kept jumping on him to hang off his leg and was pried away only by Mavis. Merle only stood to the side egging his son on, that was when he was not sharing stories of pan to others and consequently giving a branch of holly from his soulwood arm as a candlenights gift. Taako had jested that it was a lame excuse of a present and that he should’ve just embraced the fact he had not made gifts.

Of course, Merle’s retaliations were cut off when Taako was led off to enjoy the music with his sister. Then, the party became to be more of a time of mingling. John was fine standing nearby Merle and enjoying the dwarf’s company especially when he began talking ridiculousness and exaggerations that could only be doubts of lies.

In the middle of one a story of how he had saved Davenport on the seas, with said little man laughing, the host of the party made her way over to join them. She was a tall woman that John had only realised the strain his back was accumulating looking down to Merle and his kids. Lucretia stood smiling and enjoyed hearing the end of the story. She held a recognisable staff, though it missed a glow. Whether she was holding the staff as a taunt to him of a time gone by or as a warning of his presence in her home with bureau members, John could only know his place.

“Merry candlenights, friends,” Lucretia greeted them—more fondly to Merle and Davenport and appropriately to John. “Have you been enjoying the party?”

“Of course!” Davenport grinned.

“How could we not!” Merle laughed. “You’ve always got everyone’s needs in place.”

Lucretia smiled. “I guess I do.”

“Are you enjoying the party? Letting yourself go?” Merle wiggled his eyebrows and gave a little jiggle coaxing a laugh from his friend.

“Oh, I love seeing you all. I hope you and the boys haven’t been up to anything that will set this place up, now.” Lucretia eyed him.

“I swear to Pan we haven’t.” Merle placed his soulwood hand on his heart, though John had distinctly remembered hearing the three boys laugh about spiking some of the guests’ drinks with dancing spells just to see what would happen.

“Well, Lup has been trying to get me to dance and has also been threatening Taako with a dance battle.”

“Sign me up!” Merle shouted.

“Who doesn’t want in!” Davenport joined in.

“Those losers won’t be able to handle this!” Merle said, consequently, shaking his body as if it was proof of his rhythm and dance.

With the mention of dancing and specifically the dance battle, various members if not all were crowding round into the circle of the room turning the party from a merry candlenights to the year’s acclaimed dance battle. The space in the centre was perfect for those to jump in and give their best dance moves. With the bards playing a variety of music medleys the dance battle was a bundle of all sorts of genre.

Though the twins had instigated the dance battle, Magnus was the first to as the twins bickered as to their rhythmic talents. Magnus dance was more laughing and dragging along Lucretia to boogy to the beat. It was upbeat and jolly that the band kept the fast beat to slide into the dramatic tones. To which, Taako and Kravitz glided into the centre, wrapped in one another’s arms. Their movements difficult to tell who was leading and who was following but their grace filled the piece of drama. Always for flair, Taako was shooting spells to light their dance and they were showered in sparkles and coloured backdrops. They truly were a sight to behold.

Just as Kravitz had brought Taako into a spin, Lup was dragging Barry into the circle hailing, “move over, losers!” It was becoming the dance battle that was promised. But better as they performed a perfectly graced synchronisation of the groove. They were both rhythmically attuned, step by step.

Others started to join in, in different sized groups and sometimes groups were on stage at the same time. The kids especially were loving the liveliness the party grew with. A few times Merle had been dragged into the middle to accompany his friends and so he could “show off some sexy vine moves,” and to also spin his kids around. John clapped alongside watching the various displays of dance and talents.

When Merle joined back on the sidelines clapping next to John, he nudged his friend with a laugh. “Want in? It looks fun, right?” His elbow jamming into the side of his leg where he could reach. “Or we can just keep to ourselves here, bud, if that’s what you’d prefer?”

John looked to his friend. Merle’s life was the exact opposite of his own ideologies. Life was horrible and miserable, and it was one of the sole reasons he had started the devouring of the planar system. It was all futile and yet here he was with one who told him of finding joy and taking joy where he could. But no matter how many times they had played chess John always killed Merle, because existence was better off not existing. Yet, with the man looking up at him wiggling his bushy eyebrows and nudging his side surrounded by noise maybe he had only needed one person to talk with.

One person was not so lonely.

John placed a hand in Merle’s hand—skin to skin—and Merle dragged that long-limbed man to the dance floor. The dance battle had subsided to just general showing off and grooves that though they weren’t the centre of the circle, eyes did very much notice the tall man who had once almost destroyed life as it were being led by a short dwarf almost half his size clumsily dancing on each foot. Their main form of dance was holding both their hands spinning around just as Mookie and Mavis were dancing. It was difficult to dance close like Taako and Kravitz had been or as complex as Lup and Barry, but they kept their own rhythm. Merle’s voice occasionally joining in with the lyrics of the candlenight special songs.

Though John did not laugh he surely smiled.

 

* * *

 

After a long night of partying and candlenight cheer, Merle and his family headed back to Merle’s beach home. The walk back consisted of Merle carrying his sleeping son on his back whilst Mavis told her father and John the events of the night as she had experienced it. Children playing. In those years of chasing Merle had no kids but in this world he had not one but two and John could a little hint of regret as Merle spoke. Yet, Merle told his own stories though censored and as a father would made himself better than the mundane; but Merle Highchurch was anything but.

It was almost the night winding down with the stories of the day and so the kids sluggishly made their way to their beds; all to be ready to meet with their mother the next for more candlenight festivities.

Once the children were settled, Merle and John took to their cosy spots on the rocking chairs on the porch. Merle’s soulwood arm was placed in its little plantpot between them resting for the night. The night was cool but the candlenight mood brought warm in the form of hot drinks and a shared blanket, draping over the chairs.

They had been enjoying the stars and waves in silence before Merle spoke, “It wasn’t so bad, huh.”

“It wasn’t bad,” John agreed. The night had been a livelier fun than the times he spent with Merle.

“I surely got my groove on you know.” There was no dispute to that especially not in the way Merle had been moving his hips all night—and especially when he had dead-locked eyes with John’s.

“Who could have missed?”

Merle nodded. “You did well tonight and even if you did not feel the joy I talked about I’m glad you came, buddy. When we defeated the hunger’s devouring ass, I knew life would be peaceful and recovering. But this past week, has been a good type of bliss with you here. I couldn’t help wonder where you ended up when we… we killed you.”

John just watched Merle. Strategy and logic was his game that Merle’s raw feelings always threw him off. You could never predict someone’s feelings especially when it was difficult to find your own. And John had had many lifetimes to not have a resemblance to anything other than the anger and the emptiness.

No, but he had.

Not in the beginning stages of parlay but certainly those last. When he was consumed by finding the lights and making sure they burned out, destroying worlds and lives, but hoping somewhere he would be pulled away to be met with the beach dwarf. Their games and talks were sincere and it was the most John he had felt in that long board room. Where that board room was Merle’s parlay, his spell to call him, the wide and serene beach was John’s call to Merle. Because it was that time Merle had killed him; though not in the same way John—the hunger—had found a way to strike his friend and end the spell. Merle’s kill was not his it was technically his tall elf friend’s but truly it had been everyone.

It had been those bonds.

“You have a lot of friends, Merle. You have a family. It is no wonder you told me of joy and sadness.” John reached his hand from the blanket to Merle’s resting it atop. The two of them looking it for a moment before one another.

“I’m a lovable guy!” Merle joked, his laughter grinning.

The corners of John’s lips pulled into a smile. They spread a little wider when Merle wrapped his fingers with John’s. The two holding hands, smiling.

“Let me stay for more weeks,” John asked.

“You can stay here for as long as you wish!” Merle squeezed John’s hand and pulled it up to his lips and kissed his hand. The beard was surprisingly soft for an outdoorsman and John could not help but set his drink next to the soulwood arm and reach for Merle’s face.

“Thank you.”

He did not know how long he would want to stay except it would be long. With the evening behind them, and the week since he had been woken on the shores, there was one thing John knew: he wanted to know more of Merle’s world.


End file.
